The 100th Post!

Many milestones to contemplate in this important post tonight. First of all this is our 100^th post. Crazy to think about, but I guess we built something here. Something worth doing. For this post, (and inspired by the friend posts) we thought we’d kick off a new series. One that we’d love to share and have friends of ours share: all of our favorite top ten cocktails. Since I do the pouring and the writing, I’m going to take control of the first countdown.

For my 10^th fave, I am going to have to tell you a little horrific tale (surprised?); one that is likely unfamiliar to you. It is the story of the Axeman of New Orleans, a true tale of murder, gore, and jazz. You see, the Axeman murdered at least eight people between the years 1911-1919 in the city of New Orleans and was never caught. His modus operandi was to randomly chop unsuspecting city folk with their own axes or straight razors in their own homes. Gleefully doing Satan’s work, the Axeman, in Jack-the-Ripper-like fashion, taunted the people of NOLA by writing the New Orleans Times-Picayune the following note:

Hell, March 13, 1919 

Esteemed Mortal: 

They have never caught me and they never will. They have never seen me, for I am invisible, even as the ether that surrounds your earth. I am not a human being, but a spirit and a demon from the hottest hell. I am what you Orleanians and your foolish police call the Axeman. 

When I see fit, I shall come and claim other victims. I alone know whom they shall be. I shall leave no clue except my bloody axe, besmeared with blood and brains of he whom I have sent below to keep me company. 

If you wish you may tell the police to be careful not to rile me. Of course, I am a reasonable spirit. I take no offense at the way they have conducted their investigations in the past. In fact, they have been so utterly stupid as to not only amuse me, but His Satanic Majesty, Francis Josef, etc. But tell them to beware. Let them not try to discover what I am, for it were better that they were never born than to incur the wrath of the Axeman. I don‘t think there is any need of such a warning, for I feel sure the police will always dodge me, as they have in the past. They are wise and know how to keep away from all harm. 

Undoubtedly, you Orleanians think of me as a most horrible murderer, which I am, but I could be much worse if I wanted to. If I wished, I could pay a visit to your city every night. At will I could slay thousands of your best citizens, for I am in close relationship with the Angel of Death. 

Now, to be exact, at 12:15 (earthly time) on next Tuesday night, I am going to pass over New Orleans. In my infinite mercy, I am going to make a little proposition to you people. Here it is:
I am very fond of jazz music, and I swear by all the devils in the nether regions that every person shall be spared in whose home a jazz band is in full swing at the time I have just mentioned. If everyone has a jazz band going, well, then, so much the better for you people. One thing is certain and that is that some of your people who do not jazz it on Tuesday night (if there be any) will get the axe. 

Well, as I am cold and crave the warmth of my native Tartarus, and it is about time I leave your earthly home, I will cease my discourse. Hoping that thou wilt publish this, that it may go well with thee, I have been, am and will be the worst spirit that ever existed either in fact or realm of fancy. 

The Axeman

This letter referred to an attack on Tuesday evening (or Wednesday morning if you like) exactly 94 years tonight at 12:15 am. That means you have only a couple of hours to get your jazz on before the Axeman comes calling. So you might as well have a New Orleans classic while you’re at it. My 10^th favorite is the Sazerac, a smooth and complex libation that lulls you in with sophistication and then, like the Axeman, smacks you into oblivion. What a way to go.

Sazerac

Top Ten: Holly's #10

1 teaspoon Herbsaint (or Absinthe)

1 teaspoon of simple syrup

3 heavy dashes Peychaud's bitters

3 ounces rye whiskey (try Sazerac brand 6 year; for the photo I used Queen Jennie and skipped the simple syrup due to Jennie's sorghum goodness)

Chill an old fashioned glass. Add ice to a separate mixing glass. Pour the syrup, whiskey, and bitters over the ice and stir just enough to cool the drink. Go back to the old fashioned glass and discard the ice. Coat the inside of the OF glass with the Herbsaint, leaving a puddle at the bottom. Strain the contents of the mixing glass into the OF glass. Twist a swath of lemon peel over the surface of the drink. Rub the peel around the lip of the glass and place the twisted peel into the drink (a must in my opinion- adds to the beauty and complexity of this wonder). Enjoy to jazz. Stay alive. Good luck.

George Stark, Needful Thing

The second of our Stephen King cocktails feature characters from back-to-back novels written from 1989 to 1991. The first we named after The Dark Half villain, the hard-drinking George Stark. The George Stark is a riff off the very-manly Sazerac. The difference is the homemade peppermint-horehound syrup. While you don’t have to be a diabolical killer to enjoy these two cocktails, it helps.

Corpse Reviver #2

Many of you know how much we love Halloween and hate to see it go, so we thought it would be apropos to revive it one more time in 2011 before we say goodbye. What better way to do this than with the classic Corpse Reviver. Now, some history is in order here.

Zombie

As we leave yet another summer and go into Halloween season, let's revive a classic summer beach drink with a Halloween name - the Zombie. This tasty combination of rums, lime, fruits, and spices made Don Beach, the inventor of the Zombie, a tiki god. Due to their high alcohol content and fruit smoothie taste, Beach's Don the Beachcomber restaurants only permitted two Zombies per customer. After Don's death in 1989, recipes for the Zombie scattered to every island in the Caribbean; most of them sugar-filled ick. The following recipe is the original and all the rest are junk.

Holly's Blueberry Spice Syrup

For all the teetotalers out there, we thought that we'd throw you a bone and give you a recipe that you can mix with citrus, 7up, or even pancakes. It's my very own Blueberry Spice Syrup and here's how to make it...

Essential Liquor #28

#28) Melon Liqueur - Our last liqueur in the 30 Essentials series is melon liqueur.
Sweet, but not sickly sweet, melon liqueur is a surprisingly wonderful mixer that blends interestingly with unobvious bed-fellows like cream. Consider the crazy combination that is the Jedi Mind Trick - melon, cinnamon schnapps, Bailey's, and 151. I don't think that I have ordered a Jedi Mind Trick at a bar where the bartender didn't ask, "Ah, are you sure?" However, every bartender who then tried one always appreciated it afterwards. Melon liqueur is often one of three ingredients in any cocktail, so Joe can buy Dekuyper here or Midori for more class.

Essential Liquor #11

#11) American Whiskey - A bar without Jack Daniel's is like a farm without a dog. It's not absolutely necessary, but, if absent, you notice that it's not around.

Essential Liquor #5

#5) Herbsaint- Never heard of it? Well, it’s got to be in your bar. Louisiana in the 1800s was the U.S. king of absinthe. Then the government decided to ban absinthe for nearly 100 years from 1915-2007. So, in 1934, an enterprising tag team of J.M. Legendre and Reginald Parker of New Orleans created absinthe without its offending ingredient- wormwood. Of course, the government stormed back in to stop this absinthe too. So they simply changed the name to Herbsaint. In my opinion, it’s tastier that anything the French have.